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Tough road to hold

Oshkosh Corp.

It's bigger than a Humvee and is aimed at some of the world's roughest terrain such as mountain trails in Afghanistan. And Oshkosh Corp. hopes that its latest armored military vehicle will soon be a finalist in a multibillion-dollar competition to outfit troops with the next generation of tough trucks.

Oshkosh - It's much bigger than a Humvee and is aimed at some of the world's roughest terrain.

Oshkosh Corp. hopes that its latest military vehicle will be a finalist in a multibillion-dollar competition to outfit ground troops in Afghanistan.

The military says it needs a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle that's agile, lighter and more capable of handling Afghanistan's rocky terrain than other vehicles currently in the country.

"This is a high priority accelerated acquisition in support of the global war on terror," according to the Pentagon request, which means manufacturers such as Oshkosh might have to set aside other projects to meet the military's demand as soon as possible.

The first set of armored, off-road vehicles could be delivered as early as this summer.

Within weeks, the companies expect to learn if they will advance to the final round of the vehicle competition. Mass production could begin as early as May, creating thousands of hours of work at truck factories.

Initially, between 2,080 and 10,000 trucks will be built in about 12 months for use by the Army and the Marine Corps, according to the Pentagon. The numbers could get much bigger after that period.

One company might win all of the business, or it could be divided among several companies.

"It's important that we pull out all of the stops" to get these contracts, said Charles Szews, Oshkosh Corp. president and chief operating officer.

"The initial view is that it's at least a $1.5 billion program," he added.

The latest batch of vehicles requested by the Pentagon would be in addition to more than 1,000 armor-protected trucks deployed in Afghanistan and about 9,000 in Iraq.

Many vehicles in the two countries now, while massive in size, aren't well suited for off-road terrain.

Their bulk works against them on steep, winding trails, and they sometimes get stuck in the sand.

Designed for terrain

Oshkosh's new vehicle has independent suspension designed to get over boulders and large holes on the trail. It's meant to keep the vehicle from getting stuck, or breaking down, in the dangerous mountain passes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"The last thing that a soldier wants is to be stuck in terrain where their truck's axle breaks. They become a sitting duck for the enemy that's on mountain peaks around them," Szews said.

Armor is another priority for troop protection. While the Pentagon wants a fast, nimble off-road vehicle, it must be adequately armored against roadside bombs.

Humvees haven't fared well against insurgent attacks. They were designed to haul soldiers, but the military has demanded more from them, said Ronald Hoffman, senior research physicist at the Aerospace Mechanics Division of University of Dayton's Research Institute in Ohio.

The Army and Marines are looking at other vehicles because they realize the Humvee can't do everything.

"There's a practical side in all of this," Hoffman said. "If you want a highly mobile, agile vehicle, you can't put tons of armor on it. And part of troop survivability is mobility."

The Army is testing the Oshkosh off-road vehicle and others at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.

Within the next few weeks, Pentagon officials are expected to award as many as five contracts for more test vehicles.

Companies selected in the first round of the competition were awarded $1 million each to build and deliver test vehicles.

The military anticipates awarding final production contracts to one company in May but could place orders with the other vehicle makers as well.

If Oshkosh wins the business, Szews said, it could be building the trucks for delivery as early as June.

About Rick Barrett

Rick Barrett covers manufacturing, telecom and agriculture. He has received Best in Business awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and was co-recipient of a Barlett & Steele award for investigative business journalism.